Characterization of the humoral immune response against Gnathostoma binucleatum in patients clinically diagnosed with gnathostomiasis.

Gnathostomiasis is an emerging systemic parasitic disease acquired by consuming raw or uncooked fresh-water fish infected with the advanced third-stage larvae of Gnathostoma spp. This disease is endemic to the Pacific region of Mexico, and one of its etiologic agents has been identified as Gnathostoma binucleatum. We characterized the humoral immune response of patients clinically diagnosed with gnathostomiasis by detecting total IgM, IgE, and IgG class and subclasses against a crude extract of the parasite by Western blotting.

Study of the ethiological agent of gnathostomosis in Nayarit, Mexico.

In order to clarify the specific identity of the etiological agent of human gnathostomosis in Nayarit State, Mexico, morphological and molecular studies were conducted on advanced third stage larvae obtained from human and fish tissue. Cathorops fuerthii from Agua Brava lagoons complex, was the only fish species found to be infected among four species surveyed. Morphological variability does not allow specific identification of the larvae.